The purple dye did not break into the conventional for thousands of years because it was expensively difficult to make. Back in the 15th century, the ancient inhabitants of Lebanon relied on harvesting spiny dye-murex whose glands were used to extract the color. Consequently, only the rich and powerful could afford to look for colors that go with purple.
Back then, all colors were made from natural sources until William Henry Perkin accidentally discovered the dye mauveine from an experiment expected to find a Malaria treatment in 1856. Since the manufacturing process became affordable, people from all walks of life could access the deep and rich colors.
Today, the dramatic mix of red and blue has made its way into the mainstream. However, purple remains an enigmatic color as it only marries well with certain shades and pigments. So, people have difficulty finding color combinations for interior design and fashion-related ideas.
Our article describes the various shades you can use for a solid complementary color scheme that will help you make a bold statement. You can do an affordable remodel with careful planning and incorporate purple with stunning results.
Colors That Go with Purple
1. Black, White, and Purple
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For interior design ideas, you can have a mix of bright white walls and matte black furnishings and use pure purple as an accent color to complete the look. Remember to ensure the saturation of purple is at its deepest instead of employing varying shades of the color. The overall look will be welcoming and provide a comfortable and chilled place.
From the image above, we can see that the purple couch feels at home above the deep black carpet with white walls, tables and chairs. Complementing the furnishings in this manner allows you to incorporate purple elegantly and royally. Plus, the right white wood stain offers excellent contrast among the deeper shades of the room.
2. Gray, White, and Lavender
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Lavender, a calming shade of purple, can have a gorgeous effect on your living room when it is accented by light or dark gray and white. From the featured image above, the gray walls work well with the white accents of the fireplace and seats. The colors match well without a stark contrast, making the space feel more welcoming.
Furthermore, the lavender carpet, pillows and other furnishings complete the look effortlessly. This design choice can employ darker shades of gray as the white and lavender keep the room from looking gloomy.
3. Mauve and Plum
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Mauve, a different shade of purple, gels excellently with plum to fit your living room, kitchen, office, or even wedding. This color combination works with attire and interior spaces and feeds your eyes an impressive mix of texture and color.
This combination can be tricky to pull off, especially when you add a few accent colors to the mix. Still, you can get it right by balancing the dramatic and rich mauve by dotting plum into the look with care.
4. Orange, Green and Lavender
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Imagine a surreal landscape of lavender flowers growing on a plain, then juxtapose a rising or setting sun backdrop. This scene is beautiful as it combines the orange sky with the luscious lavender flowers complemented by green leaves.
You can emulate nature in your interior design ideas by using an olive or mint green, then combining it with soft lavender and a soothing orange hue. Different shades of purple may not yield the desired results as colors close to the neutral palette work well for this visual masterpiece. Plus, you can go all-out with a maximalist approach to the design without creating an eye strain.
5. Pink and Lilac
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Pink and purple; specifically lilac, can work well without seeming excessively sweet or sentimental. After all, a pink room can seem overly feminine, especially when multiple shades are employed to complete the design.
With light lilac, pink can come to life with a distinctive warm and exciting feel. You can choose these colors for creating luxurious social settings like the living room or a sophisticated private bedroom.
6. Citron and Purple
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Citron is one of the yellow accents that leans towards the pale or washed out. It typically works well with neutrals, but you can create a purple room with the color for a fresh and low-key look.
Purple, paired with the colors seen in the image above, can gel perfectly in an outfit or designing a room. In addition, you can use cream compliments to ease the visual strength of combining citron with purple.
7. Gold and Purple
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Remember the scenery of lavender flowers blooming at dusk or dawn? Imagine the same setting but with the sun higher up in the sky and spewing golden hues for the backdrop. The classic color combination of gold and purple can add a natural and elegant look to your dressing, office, or home decor.
Gold accents in furniture or ornaments fit snuggly in a deep purple outfit or purple walls. The contrast of gold and purple can elevate the dramatic appeal of a space and inject royalty and elegance into the design.
8. Chestnut and Purple
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The combination of artificial or natural light with immersive dark shades can make your space look overly dramatic. Chestnut is an excellent alternative to a dark neutral palette with versatility and subtlety.
Moreover, the earthy brown color can complement dark purple walls and shave decades off the traditional look. The result is a modern style that enhances your home decor, especially if your furniture and other design elements feature Chesnut prominently.
9. Navy, Purple and Green
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On the color wheel, purple and navy are in the same neighborhood. Thus, you can mix the hues in a room or outfit and end up with a fantastic design that appeals to nearly everyone.
Still, navy and purple can feel pretty dark when used without an accent. Green adds the perfect visual balance by injecting vibrancy into the design. Also, remember to apply it as an accent to prop the dark shades of purple and navy.
10. Emerald and Purple
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Lilac is a luxurious color and, when paired with emerald, can transform your home or office into a sophisticated space. A dining room with similar colored tapestry and furniture can also have a timeless look.
The dark theme will not breed a vibrant space but portray subtly and youth of a chilled spring evening. The color combination embodies agelessness and makes a bold statement. In addition, the design choices can benefit from a minimalist approach to the purple furniture selection.
11. Silver and Purple
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Silver and purple colors will work well if you want to mark a grand occasion with subtlety and elegance. The luxurious look of silver is unlike light gray because it adds shine to the lavish theme.
On the other hand, you can use dark purple to stunning effect when you add silver accents to the design choices. Whether you want to create a posh feel to your bedroom, office or living room, you cannot go wrong with a dedicated splash of the colors.
12. Yellow and Purple
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Whether you want to go for yellow walls with purple furniture or the other way around, combining the two colors yields a harmonious look consistently. Admittedly, the design will give your space a spring feel because of how the colors gel.
Just the right amount of gold accents can inject luxury into your living room. In addition, you can add white bedding to your bedroom to compliment purple walls with gold pillows and furniture. You can experiment with just a hint of light blue for a well-rounded look.
13. Forest Green and Purple
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Bring the deep forest green into your home with purple as a complementary color to create an elegant nature-esque theme. Here, different shades of bright color can complete the look and add some zing to the setup.
Avoid the gloominess of relying on dark shades for your forest green and purple room with light accents dotting the scene. Keep your design approach minimalist to ensure the space does not feel overwhelming. Our selection of excellent forest wallpaper murals can help you out.
14. Light Blue and Purple
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Purple can feel overwhelmingly strong when used ubiquitously for design purposes. However, if you are going for a calm setting, the choice of adding light blue can ease the brazenness of purple and allow the combination to insert a cooling feeling to the setup.
Adding white to the mix produces an exciting yet relaxed feel to the room, occasion or outfit. You can round off the energetic vibe with the perfect shade of gray to complete the sleek design.
15. Burnt Orange and Purple
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Purple and burn orange have a way of gelling together to create a classic and powerful look for your outfit, home or office. The two colors are known for their dramatic effect whenever they show up, and a stylish combination can enhance the feel and beef up the boldness.
You can add various accents like burgundy, rust or brown in a few pieces scattered in the room to draw curious eyes. Whether embellishing a centerpiece or focussing attention on specific sections of the room, the regal purple color and burnt orange will create a stately background.
16. Purple and Teal
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Combining purple and teal can yield extravagant results that seem to fit a fairy tale wedding or a grand ball. But, while the combination is flashy and luxurious, you can mix the colors to achieve a stylish home or office.
This design choice is not for the faint-hearted as it requires plenty of confidence to pull off without coming off as over the top. Still, you can go the minimalist or maximalist way and get excellent results.
Making Purple Design Choices
Purple has a daring personality and takes careful choices to ensure it works well. In addition, it can be a selective color as not many people jump on the opportunity to use it. The following ideas can help create a purple room with suitable complementary colors for expressing yourself through your spaces.
a). Purple and Neutrals
Whether purple accents or as the dominant color, adding warm neutrals is an obvious choice to create an effective contrast in your home decor. As purple brings boldness, the warm neutrals add contrast for elegance. For example, zany orange, tan, and taupe can fit stunningly.
b). Bright Colors of the Rainbow and Purple
Going with rainbow brights like mint green, bright blue, or pastel yellow with purple can add sparks of energy to your room. This simple design approach allows you to express yourself without washing out a vivid look. Plus, blush pink lets you add an excellent contrast to the color palette.
c). Purple and the Reds
The color purple with deep plum, salmon-orange, and a range of dark pinks can form a tropical and grounded look. When you picture bright sunsets, you can see the various shades creating a surreal look across the sky. You can import this feel to your home with careful choices of furniture and walls.